Between Siblings
by Whitney Maidenhall
Summary: Elladan and Elrohir are driving Arwen mad with their practical jokes. She believes they hate her; it takes an ambush, an abduction, and a daring rescue mission to make Arwen realize how much her brothers really love her.
1. Default Chapter

Between Siblings

~ Whitney Maidenhall ~

J.R.R. Tolkien is the creator of Middle-earth. Characters and settings all belong to him. I own only the words and the plot, and if you use them without my permission, I will feed you to my imaginary pet alligators.

(Not a very good threat, is it? ::sigh:: That's why I'm never going to become a Dark Lord. I lack evilness.)

Chapter One

Young Arwen Undomiel hummed happily to herself as she strolled along the terraces above the River Bruinen, admiring the magnificent scenery stretched out before her eyes. The grass was a lush emerald green color, pricked by tiny dewdrops that sparkled like diamonds, and the early morning sunlight transformed the surface of the river into a sheet of wet turquoise overlaid with a sheen of pure gold. A thin silvery mist obscured the faraway mountains, and the valley of Imladris rang with the lilting, chirping melodies of birdsong. The air smelled of renewal and of rain, of flowers and fresh earth. It was Springtime, the season of life.

Unable to control herself, Arwen began to sing.

_When Spring unfolds the beechen leaf, and sap is in the bough;_

_When light is on the wild-wood stream, and wind is on the brow;_

_When stride is long, and breath is deep, and keen the mountain-air,_

_Come back to me! Come back to me, and say my land is fair!_

"Muinthel!" cried a cheerful voice from somewhere behind her. "What is that awful racket you're making?"

"You're scaring away all the animals!"

Arwen stifled the groan that rose up her throat and turned to face her brothers. Elladan and Elrohir looked so alike that it was impossible for a stranger to tell them apart. The pale sunlight shone weakly on their dark hair and humor lurked in the depths of their gray eyes as they flashed her identical mischievous grins.

"A pleasant morning, is it not?" said Elladan. "Although rather chilly."

Elrohir nodded vigorously. "Yes, it's very cold. You look like you need to warm up a bit, Arwen."

Arwen narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "What have the two of you done this time?" she demanded, noticing that they had come from the direction of her room.

"Done?" Elladan echoed, blinking. "I do not understand."

"If you've written on the walls of my room again or thrown my favorite dress into the river…"

"We would never do that!" Elrohir swiftly declared. "We love you deeply, dear Muinthel, and your low opinion of us grieves our hearts." They both looked so hurt, so much the pictures of offended innocence, that Arwen would have laughed if she hadn't been worried about finding her bed overrun with snakes. The twins were not known for their good behavior and angelic dispositions--- quite the opposite, in fact.

"As much as we would enjoy conversing with you, Arwen, we must go," said Elladan, breaking the skeptical silence that had followed Elrohir's fervent declaration. "Adar wishes to discuss a personal matter with us. Come, Muindor."

"We shall see you later, beloved Muinthel."

As the twins brushed past her, she was oblivious to the telltale quivering of their lips.

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A cold shiver went down Arwen's spine when she saw that the door to her chamber was slightly open. She walked into the room, her heart pounding, her lips moving in a silent prayer to the Valar to protect her from whatever evil her brothers had committed.

As soon as she had opened the door further, a bucket of warm water came crashing down on her head, drenching her completely.

Arwen's shriek of surprised outrage echoed throughout Rivendell, and when Elladan and Elrohir heard it, they exchanged conspiratorial grins before crumpling to the floor in fits of hysterical laughter outside their father's study.

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So, how was it? Rather short, I know, but I'll try to make future chapters longer. Let me know what you think. ::subtly glances at Review button::

Oh, and chocolates for everyone who can guess where the song Arwen was singing came from!


	2. Chapter Two

Between Siblings

~ Whitney Maidenhall ~

J.R.R. Tolkien is the creator of Middle-earth. Characters and settings all belong to him. I own only the words and the plot, and if you use them without my permission, I will feed you to my imaginary pet alligators.

(Not a very good threat, is it? ::sigh:: That's why I'm never going to become a Dark Lord. I lack evilness.)

::gives Laietha a huge box of chocolate-covered caramels and some Ferrero Rocher:: That's for correctly guessing where the song came from (I just wanted to see who read the books ^_~) and for being my first reviewer… my first EVER reviewer… ::hugs::

::hands out a million packets of Hershey's Kisses to Eglaatarwen Arcalen:: I only wish they could be real… but if they were, I'd keep 'em for myself! ;o)

caz-baz: I'm truly honored to be on your Favorites list.

icy878, Dragon, Miss Understood, Karine, Selena-Sira, technetium, Jaid Skywalker, Lily Frost: Thanks for reviewing!

Chapter Two

Lord Elrond looked up from the book he was reading at the sound of a knock on the door. "Enter," he said with a trace of imperiousness.

Elladan and Elrohir came into the room and closed the door behind them, bright, chipper smiles on their faces, eyes sparkling with laughter. Elrond frowned, wondering what they had been up to, but that frown was softened when he realized how much those eyes were like Celebrian's.

"You wished to talk to us, Adar?" said Elladan.

Elrond nodded and put down his book. "Yes, yes. Please sit down."

When his sons were comfortably settled in the seats in front of him, Elrond clasped his hands together and rested them on the huge polished wooden table, a stern expression on his face. "I would like to talk about your sister."

"Is something the matter with Arwen?" Elrohir asked, his brow knitted in concern.

"Judging from that scream I heard a few moments ago, I would say so, yes," replied Elrond wryly. "However, I know it is merely another one of your pranks. That is what I want to discuss with you--- your pranks."

The twins shared uneasy glances. "What about them, Adar?" asked Elladan.

"You've been plaguing Arwen with them ever since the day she came into this world. I would be greatly amazed if she has any affection for the two of you left."

"But… we love our sister," Elrohir protested.

"I have no doubt that you do, Elrohir, but you certainly have a poor way of showing that love," said Elrond. "Which is why I want to tell you now, to stop playing---"

Suddenly the door to the study was flung open with such tremendous force that it nearly shook the books off their respective places in the shelves. Arwen stood in the threshold, dripping wet from head to toe, her pale face contorted with fury.

"… pranks on your sister," Elrond finished weakly, staring at his daughter in amazement. He turned to his sons, and when he spoke, his voice was tinged with laughter. "You two rascals! What in the name of Eru have you done this time?"

Encouraged by their father's apparent mirth, Elladan grinned and explained, "It was such a cold day, Adar, and we thought Arwen would appreciate a nice warm bath."

"Yes," added Elrohir, "we went through such pains to gather water from the Bruinen and heat it. You feel warmer now, don't you, Muinthel?"

Arwen glared at them through blazing gray eyes. "How dare you!" she yelled, sounding on the verge of tears and not at all like the refined young maiden her mother had taught her to be. "Why must you torment me so?"

Quick as a flash, Elrond stood up. "Elladan, Elrohir, I shall speak with you later," he commanded. The twins knew they had been dismissed and walked out of the study. Elladan rumpled Arwen's dark hair as he passed her, and she was hard-pressed not to claw at his face.

As soon as the door shut, Arwen ran into her father's open arms. "Oh, Adar!" she sobbed tearfully into his chest. "I hate them! I wish they would die!"

"Undomiel, you must not say that. We of the Firstborn hold the highest respect for life, and it is a sin to wish death on anyone, no matter how much they have aggravated you." The Lord of Rivendell's voice was hard and stern, yet his hand was gentle and soothing as he patted his daughter's back.

"Ever since I can remember, I have always been the butt of their jokes!" Arwen carried on as if she hadn't heard a single word her father had said. "They tease me and do mean things… I don't think they like me very much. Aren't siblings supposed to love one another, Adar?"

Elrond smiled faintly at the bewilderment in his only daughter's voice. "Your brothers love you, Arwen. Their pranks are simply their way of showing it."

She looked up at him in disbelief.

"It is strange, this bond between siblings," said Elrond, speaking with the wisdom of one who was dwelt in the world for many centuries and therefore possesses a deep understanding of the nature of his race. "They quarrel over the smallest matters, they drive each other to the point of insanity, and they profess at every opportune moment how much they hate each other… when, in reality, to each other they mean the world."

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Hmm, so what do you think? Constructive criticism and suggestions will be greatly appreciated, as I'm eager to improve this story and my own writing skills. ::nonchalantly gestures in direction of Review button::


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